Latter-day Saints sustained six new General Authority Seventies during the Saturday afternoon session of the 192nd Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, announced the names of the new General Authority Seventies.
Who are new General Authority Seventies?
The new General Authority Seventies are:
- Elder Mark D. Eddy
- Elder James W. McConkie III
- Elder Isaac K. Morrison
- Elder Ryan K. Olsen
- Elder Jonathan S. Schmitt
- Elder Denelson Silva
News of the new general authorities comes two days after church leaders read the names of 45 new Area Seventies during the conference’s leadership session on March 31.
What is a General Authority Seventy?
General Authority Seventies serve in the Presidency of the Seventy, in area presidencies and in other administrative functions. They serve under the direction of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and travel frequently to meet with and teach local church leaders, missionaries and Latter-day Saint congregations. They have authority to serve anywhere in the world, while the authority of Area Seventies is generally limited to the area where they serve.
Learn more about the new General Authority Seventies
The following bios are provided by the church’s newsroom:
- Elder Mark D. Eddy: Elder Eddy is a native of Long Beach, California. He has been serving as a member of the Twelfth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah Area. He was president of the Uruguay Montevideo Mission from 2016 to 2019. Elder Eddy has degrees in communication and law from Brigham Young University. He has worked as an attorney and business executive. He and his wife, Annette, have six children.
- Elder James W. McConkie III: Elder McConkie is from Salt Lake City, Utah. His most recent church assignment was stake president. He was president of the Czech/Slovak Mission from 2013 to 2016. He has degrees in history (University of Utah) and law (The George Washington University Law School). He is a founder and director for the Wallace Toronto Foundation, a nonprofit providing assistance in the Czech and Slovak Republics. Elder McConkie and his wife, Laurel, have four children.
- Elder Isaac K. Morrison: Elder Morrison was born in Takoradi, Ghana. He has been serving as president of the Ghana Cape Coast Mission. He has a bachelor’s degree in operations and project management from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration. He also has a Master of Science in strategic management and leadership from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Elder Morrison has worked for the Church in various capacities since 2004. He and his wife, Hannah, have three children.
- Elder Ryan K. Olsen: Elder Olsen is from Provo, Utah. He has been serving as a member of the Twelfth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah Area. He was president of the Uruguay Montevideo West Mission from 2016 to 2019. He has a degree in mass communication from the University of Utah. Elder Olsen worked most recently as area senior vice president of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. He and his wife, Julie, have four children.
- Elder Jonathan S. Schmitt: Elder Schmitt hails from Mesa, Arizona. His most recent church service was in the Eleventh Quorum of the Seventy in the North America Southwest Area. He was president of the California San Diego Mission from 2014 to 2017. He has undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Arizona. Elder Schmitt was assistant vice president of Arizona State University at the time of his call to be General Authority Seventy. He and his wife, Alexis, have four children.
- Elder Denelson Silva: Elder Silva is a native of Recife, Brazil. He was a member of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy in the Brazil Area at the time of his call. He was president of the Angola Luanda Mission from 2016 to 2019. He has a bachelor’s degree in data processing and worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He and his wife, Regina Maria de Carvalho, have two children.